name manager for range updates excel mac

Name Manager For Range S Excel Download The Exercise
Name Manager For Range S Excel Full Name Data

To add a named range, select the range of cells that you wish to name.

In this example, weve entered OrderID as the name for the range.

In this example, the range is automatically set to Sheet1A:A because this is the range of cells that we previously highlighted.

The Name box can be found at the left end of the formula box.

Now whenever you select column A, you will see this range name appear in the Name box.

In your own Excel files, you might not already have a drop-down menu set up to work with a named range.

This article explains why you need it and how to roll your own.

This has a lot of uses, but one of the most common (and the one this article will revolve around) is the combination of the dynamic named range and a drop-down menu.

If you already know what a standard named range is then youre probably as psyched as I am.

The standard named range A named range is a group of cells in Excel that you give a name.

For example, you can choose to give range A1:C55 the name Employees and it will give you the possibility to refer to this range by simple writing Employees in the formula instead of A1:C55.

Now you can use it with formulas, drop-down menus and other exciting stuff to save time and keep a keen overview of your references.

So why use a dynamic range A dynamic named range is a standard named range on steroids.

Making a range dynamic, enables it to expand itself automatically and include in new data.

This is extremely useful when you have something that refers to a list in Excel and you know that therell be added new data to it eventually.

Usually, this means you will have to waste spend time rebuilding that something every time new data goes into the list.

The usual workaround for this, when using named ranges, is: Simply to select more cells than is used by the data in order to keep the named range large enough to hold the future data.

When working with large spreadsheets, using unnecessarily big named ranges in advanced formulas will eat up all your processing power.

Theres no data outside, and no empty cells within the green line.

In scenario 2 (to the right) there are a lot of empty cells within the green line.

Name Manager For Range S Excel Full Name Data

When creating a drop-down menu based on the Full name data we get two very different results.

But imagine having 15 20 Besides being annoying to scroll that much, worst of all it looks extremely unprofessional.

Name Manager For Range S Excel Download The Exercise

How to create a dynamic range In order for you to get the most out of the following guide, please download the exercise file here (if you havent already) and follow these steps.

Were going to create a new named range now, thats also called Employees.

Since you cant have two ranges with the same name, delete the one you created earlier by simply clicking on it and then click Delete.

In the Name manager press the New button in the upper left corner.

In the next window called New Name type in Employees as the name and in Refers to: you type in the following formula: OFFSET(DataA2,0,0,COUNTA(DataA2:A200),1) Just like Ive done in the picture below.

Congratulations Now you have a working dynamic named range that is used by the drop-down menu in cell B3 in the Lookup tool sheet.

Go ahead try and click it to see the result Using a drop-down menu with a dynamic named range In the exercise file, Ive already set up the drop-down menu to work with the named range Employees which youve just made dynamic.

Name Manager For Range Updates Excel Mac